Switch for street-railways



(No Model-.); 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

R. H. RIOKER. SWITCH POE STREET RAILWAYS.- No. 254,379. Patented Feb. 28,1882.

2 fi i 1 1 l' uz,

\%N ESSES I NVENTDR (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. H. RIOKER.

I SWITCH FOR STREET BAILWAYS. No.'254,s7'9. Patented Feb. 28,1882.

WITNESSES INVENTEIR e IO V "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 1

REUBEN H. RIOKER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SWITCH F O R STR EET- RAl LWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,379, dated February 28,1882.

Application filed December 23, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, REUBEN H. Brenna, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Switch for Street-Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of streetrailway switches that are provided with platforms, which,actingby the weight of the draftanimals, operate the switch-point, its object being to so arrange moving weights to be operated by the platform that they (the said moving weights) shall, when the platform is tilted, hold it in its position against any tendency to rebound, or, in case the switch is located on a side incline, to so adjust the moving weights that they shall overcome the want of balance of the platform and still hold it in the desired position. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of my invention, the platform beingrepresented as broken away to show the under or operating parts. Fig. 2 shows the parts in elevation and front section. Fig. 3 illustrates the working of themoving weights in cross-elevation, and Fig.4 is the same in longitudinal elevation. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view,

showing the working parts more in detail.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the lower part of the weight-shifting device. In the drawings, let A A represent the main track of the railway to which my switch is to be applied, and B B the siding of the same.

D and D, Figs. 1 and 2, represent the switch or frog plates, the plate 1) having a fixed point and the plate D aswinging point. These two switch-pieces D and D are made in every respect like the ordinary tongue-switch in use in street-railways.

The movable tongue E is connected to a diagonal rod, E, by means of a bolt, E. This rod E being operated by an arm, H, which projects downward from the platform-support H, the platform itself being represented by H so that any oscillation of the platform H will be transmitted through the support H, arm H, rod E and bolt E to the switchtongue. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

All of the above-described parts are in ordinary use, and are not of my invention.

The platform H and its parts H His supso as to embrace the bolt h, which extends horizontally from the arm H of the platform-support H, so that the swinging motion of the arm H will be communicated through this bolt h to the part L L, which causes the parts L L to move, thus setting the weights in the tubes L in motion.

h, Figs. 5 and 6, represents a sleeve loosely fitting onto the bolt h, and serves to lessen the friction of the fork N.

The moving weights that I prefer are round balls W W inclosed in the tube L. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) These two weights W \V are free to roll in the trough L from either end to the center and then return. To prevent either of these weights from passing the center, I place a stop, L as shown at Fig. 3. -If desirable, the numberof these rolling weights may be varied, and a track or groove may be provided for them to roll upon or in.

A modification of my device includes sliding weights, and in some cases both the rolling and sliding weights may be omitted, and the ends of the part L described as a trough may be made heavy, so that when the same is tipped out of position either to the right or left the tendency of gravity will be to hold them in such a position as to prevent therebounding of the switch-point.

I do not wish to confine myself to the single-platform switch, as my invention will apply equally well to the switches in which two platforms-that is, one each side of one of the rails-are used.

From the above it will be seen that a comparatively slight tilting'of the platform H will cause amuch greater inclination of the weighttrough L. I

From the fact that the arm H swings about the center K while the part L swings about the center M, so that the angular movement of the part L is very much greater than the "angular movementof the part H, therefore the change their position whenever the platform is weights of the part L exert an overbalancing tilted, substantially as described, and for the 10 force to hold the switch in place, purpose set forth.

I claim- In a platform-switch, the combination of the REUBEN RHJKER' moving weights W W and the mechanism Witnesses: consisting of the trough L L, pivot M, and HELEN M. FEEGAN, arm H, whereby the said weights are made to FRANK G. PARKER. 

